Method of manufacturing wheels



Aug. 24 1926.

J. H. WAGENHORST METHOD 0F MANUFACTURING WHEELS Original Filed Feb. 19, 1920 75 ff 3mm @s7/ZHHlmHMWWMy//Z%gm Y m HMWW 7o 70 y 35% v flttomttj Patented Aug. 24, 1926.

nnrrED srA'rEs PATENT OFFICE.

J AMES H. WAGENHORST, OF JACK-SON,.MICHIGAN.

METHOD 0F MANUFACTURING WHEELS.

original application led February 19, `1920, SerialV N'o. 359,936. Divided and this application led FebIaYy 17, 1926. Serial. N0. 88,545.

My invention relates to an improved method oit manufacturing Wheels and has to do more particularly With the manufacture ot Wooden spoked Wheels having metal tellies or fixed rims, The principalobject oi my invention is toprovide an improved and simplified method ot' assembling a set ot spokes within the steel telly or iXed rim, in such Way as to avoid, as much as possible, the meshing or injuring of the edges ot the inner, niiitered spoke ends and so as te assemble the spokes within the Xed rim in such a Way as to insure the correct radial positioning ot' the spokes with reterence to the telly. y

Further objects, and objects relating to details and economies of operation, will definitely appear from the detailed description following. In one instance, I accomplish the objects of my invention by the devices and means set forth in the following speciii'cation. My invention is clearly delined and pointed out in the appended claims. i

My method is villustrated in the accompanying drawing forming a part of this speciiication, in which:

Fig. 1 is a sectional vieiv through appara# tus :tor assembling Wheels illustrating, in general, a method ot assembling the spokes Within the lined rim or elly;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view through the apparatus, illustrating the method form'- ing the subject matter of the present application; and

Fig. 3 is a sectional View, corresponding to Fig. 2, but showing the spokes iinally as sembled Within the fixed rim.

ln general, my improved method consists in positioning the outer ends ot' a plurality ot spokes in suitable sockets or recesses provided in the felly or iiXed rim with the inner ends of said spokes supported at different distances above the plane of the `outer ends, the inner ends of some of the spokes be; ing elevated more than others, and then applying pressure to the sides of the butt ends of the more elevated spokes to rnove the en` tire spoke set into a common ivheel plane and assemble the set of spokes in the fixed rim with their butt ends compressed together. I propose to support the inner ends of certain of the spokes somewhat elevated Atrom the common wheel plane and to support alternate spokes with their butt ends `a suplriortingtrame which carries an annular ring 13 having a shoulder receiving and surrounding the metal fixed rim or telly 11i Within which the spokes 16 are to be assembled. This Jfelly is provided with sockets 1S to receive the spoke tenons and, in the method illustrated in Fig. 1, the spokes are positioned on the head 17 ot a depressible support 11, with the tenons at the outer ends ot the spokes, positioned in the sockets 18. The depressible support 11 is spring-pressed upwardly by the spring 12 and normally occupies a position such that the inner or butt ends of the spokes 1G are supported above the Wheel plane, that is, above the plane containing the outer ends ot the spokes and representing the position which the spokes assume When they are assembled in the Wheel. Having loosely positioned the spokes, as thus indicated, pressure is applied to the ram 19 by the piston 20 operating in the fluid pressure cylinder 21. The ram 19 engages the butt ends of the spokes resting on the head 17 of the depressible support and presses the butt ends downwardly with the support against the pressure of the spring 12, thus crowding the butt ends of the spokes together and bringing the spokes into the common Wheel plane. y

It Willbe noted that, according to the .method just described, pressure is applied by the ram 19 to the butt ends of all the spokes of the set and there is a possibility of crushing orV masliing the edges of the mitered ends of these spokes. My present invention relates to an improvement upon this method. illustrated more particularly in Fig. 2, in which the head 24 of the depress ible support 11 is provided With radial notches 25a with raised inclined portions 25 KLJ between the notches. Every alternate spoke has its inner end resting in one ot said notches, While the other spokes rest upon the raised portions 25 between the notches, with the result that partot the spokes ot the set are supported at a greater elevation above the common Wheel plane than theV other spokes ot the set. The ring 15 is mounted on the table or trame 10 and tits inside ot the steel telly 1li, serving to prevent the distortion Vot the telly and preserving its concentricity. As the ram 19 descends, it

lengagesthe edges ot the inner mitered ends ot the spokes'ivhich are more elevated and, pressing upon these spokes, torces the support V11 downward against the pressure ot the spring 12 until the other spokes ot the set engage the tixed ring 27. The movement up to this point has brought the Vspokes practically into the common Wheel plane except tor the staggering ot adjacent spokes with reterence to each other, due to the manner in which they Were initially supported. Atter Vthe loWe 1most spokes have engaged the ring 27, the ram 19 acts Aon the uppermost spokes to torce them into alinement With the other spokes, thus bringing lall the spokes ot the set into alinement in aV common Wheel plane. lt Will -be observed that the ram 19 engages only part ot the spokes ot `the set and, theretore, the danger ot crushing or mashing the edges ot the spokes during assembly is lessened. Furthermore, this makes more certain the correct radial positioning ot the spokes within the telly, inasmuch as notches 25a in thehead 24e ot the depressible support 11 serve to maintain the inner ends ot the spokes in proper radial position until justbetore the tinal squeezing action Which brings the staggered butt ends into alinement. Furthermore, the ring 15 has radial guide notches 26 tormed therein Which are engaged by the outer ends ot the spokes and assist the notches 2,5l in maintaining the correct radial positioning ot the spokes during the assembling operation.

The staggering ot the butt ends ot the spokesand the supportingI ot some ot them at a greater elevation trom the common ivheel 'plane than others has this decided advantage i'n that the butt ends ot the spokes can Vbe brought closer to the common Wheel plane betore the crushing action begins to Vtake place, with the result that practically all ot this crushing tendency is confined to the latter part ot the stroke ot the ram 19 vvhen it is acting'to squeeze the butt ends ott-he spokes into axial alinement.

" This application is a division ot my copending application Serial No. 359,936, tiled February 19, 1920. Y

Having thus described my invention, what l Aclaimv as new and usetul and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1.V The method ot making a Wheel einbodying a telly and a series ot spokes, which comprises positioning the spokes radially v-:ith their outer ends in circumterentially spaced relation relative to the tellyand alternately ot greater and less inclination relative to the central plane ot the telly, and operatingV against the inner ends ot the spokes ot greatest inclination to torce the ,spokes toward the central plane ot the telly.

2. The method ot making Wheels embodying a telly and a series ot spokes having initered ends ot rectangular cross sections which comprises arranging the spokes with their outer ends in circumterentially spaced relation Within a telly and with the inner ends ot said spokes at varying heights relative to said telly, and torcing said spoke ends toward the plane ot the telly.

3. The method ot making Wheels com prising the positioning ot a set ot spokes with their outer ends inserted in sockets in a Wheel'telly and their inner ends displaced laterally at varying distances trom the cen tral plane ot the telly., pressing the inner ends ot the spokes ot the set laterally into the Wheel plane, and then squeezing the inner ends ot the spokes into alinement With each other.

4. The method ot making Wheels comprising the positioning ot a set ot spokes With their outer ends inserted in sockets in a Wheel telly and their inner ends displaced laterally, the inner ends ot alternate spokes being displaced at a greater distance trom the central plane ot the telly than intermediate spokes7 pressing the inner ends ot the spokes having the greatest lateral displacenient in the direction ot the axis ot the telly to carry the spoke setinto the Wheel plane, and then squeezing the inner ends ot the spokes together to bring them into alinement with each other.

5. rlhe method ot making Wheels comprising the positioning ot a set ot spokes with their outer ends inserted in sockets in a Wheel telly and the inner ends ot cert-ain ot the spokes displaced laterally at varying distances trom the central plane ot the telly, and applying pressure in the direction ot the axis ot the telly to the inner endsV ot the spokes having greatest displacement to bring the setV ot spokes into alinement in the Wheel plane.

' JAMES VAGENHORST, 

